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GTA 5 has been out for two weeks now, but for me the main event doesn't come until October 1st, when GTA Online officially activates. Rockstar just released a whole bunch of info on its upcoming online crime sandbox in preparation for the launch, including a notable word of caution to the hordes of people sure to sign on in the first few minutes:

"The first couple of weeks we expect to be heavily focused on tuning the experience as it goes from internal testing to the reality of being played by tons of people in the real world so that all the usual teething problems for an online game are overcome. We hope it will all run incredibly smoothly, but please bear with us if it doesn't, and help us fix any and all problems!"

More companies should pay attention to this sort of thing -- there have been a number of high-profile disasters with online games recently. Warning players about the potential for mishap should become standard operating procedure. The rest of the post details some features of the game, including player-created content, jobs and racing. It also confirms that players will be able to buy in-game money with real-world currency, something we had suspected after a leak a few days ago.

Rockstar is planning a lot more content for the future, all built around the way that players interact with the game world. It's asking for as much feedback as possible:

"More than ever, we need your help to report your experiences, findings, likes, loves, dislikes and hates – and we will be looking at your feedback constantly to tune the game into its optimal shape and help guide how Grand Theft Auto Online will grow and evolve past this initial period. We will be checking out how people are playing and what they are not playing or not enjoying, while also monitoring feedback via two other new Rockstar channels."

Personally, I love the world that Rockstar has built with GTA 5, but I'm less enthralled with the writing. Not only do I hate all the characters, the game teeters between serious and ridiculous without a clear idea of where it wants to land. Also, I'm frustrated with how none of the missions give me any of the money I would need to buy property, vehicles, and other general tomfoolery. GTA Online has the potential to offer a pure GTA experience -- all of the sandbox absurdities, with a side of empire building, but none of the confused narrative to weigh it down. This has the chance to grow, change, and let this iconic franchise enter an entirely new era.